Around the world more women are choosing to not marry. Opting Out is a collection of essays that invite readers into the lives of women who have made this decision. These essays are sometimes painful and sometimes humorful, but they are always unexpected. Together, they prompt several questions: Why is marriage so consistently disappointing for women? When the rewards of economic stability and the social status that marriage confers are troubled, does marriage offer women anything compelling at all? Opting Out explores the lives of women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, offering sensitive and powerful portrayals of women as they escape or reshape marriage into a more rewarding arrangement.
Joanna Davidson is a contributing author, and she is also one of Opting Out’s editors.